Supplemental grip member for a hand-held electronic device

ABSTRACT

The invention includes a supplementary grip member and a handheld electronic device, made of a soft material, which is positioned on the back of the handheld electronic device in order for a user to hold the handheld electronic device. The supplementary grip member includes a connecting surface and a gripping surface that is opposite to the connecting surface. The connecting surface connects with the back surface of the handheld electronic device. The griping surface includes a curved surface for the user to hold the handheld electronic device with their hands. The supplementary grip member and the hand-held electronic device have a comfortable grip to alleviate hand fatigue when users play handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and game machines, for a long time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Chinese Patent Application No. 201821030072.0, filed Jul. 2, 2018, which application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention broadly relates to hand-held electronic equipment accessories, more specifically to a supplementary gripping part on a hand-held electronic device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the development of the economy, the progress of society, and the improvement of quality of life, people's pursuit of recreational products continues to increase. Hand-held electronic equipment accessories such as gaming devices, smart phones, and tablets are becoming more and more beautiful, comfortable, and easy to use. Generally, the structural components of handheld electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets, game consoles are decorative parts, protective sleeves, etc., when users use such products, due to unreasonable product structure design and uncomfortable grip, user's hands are prone to fatigue when using such handheld electronic devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention broadly includes a supplementary gripping part that is made of soft material, and the grip surface of the supplementary gripping part is set up in accordance with ergonomic principle. When fixed on the back of the products such as mobile phone, tablet computer, game machine, cell phone case, Tablet PC case, etc. The position of the supplementary grip parts are adjusted according to different requirements to the most comfortable, the most ergonomic position for the user to grip the electronic device. In addition, the supplementary gripping parts may alleviate the symptoms of hand fatigue when users play handheld electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers and game machines for a long period of time. In addition, the supplementary gripping part can be repeatedly used, which is environmentally friendly and has a high utilization rate.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciable from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with the accompanying drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the supplementary grip member provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the supplementary grip member in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the supplementary grip member provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the supplementary grip member provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the supplementary grip member provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hand-held electronic device with a supplementary grip member in FIG. 1. In the embodiment, the hand-held electronic device is a mobile phone, which shows the protection sleeve and the supplementary grip member,

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a hand-held electronic device with a supplementary grip member in FIG. 1. In the embodiment, the hand-held electronic device is a tablet computer, which shows the tablet computer and the supplementary grip member, and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a hand-held electronic device with a supplementary grip member in FIG. 1. In the embodiment, the hand-held electronic device is a gaming machine, which shows the protective sleeve and the supplementary grip member.

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of an electronic tablet device with two supplementary grip members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects.

Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be appreciated that the term “electronic device” is synonymous with terms such as “mobile phone”, “tablet computer”, “game unit”, etc., and such terms may be used interchangeably as appearing in the specification and claims. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.

Adverting now to FIGS. 1 through 9, the supplementary grip member 10 is fixed on the back of a handheld electronic device (not shown) to help the user hold the handheld electronic device. The supplementary grip member 10 is a component made of a soft material, which has a connecting surface 11 for connecting to the back of the handheld electronic device and a gripping surface 12 that is opposite to the connecting surface 11, which is curved to provide support for a user's hands while holding the handheld electronic device.

The above mentioned supplementary grip member 10 is made of soft material and gripping surface 12 with curved surface setting has an ergonomic design. When the supplementary grip member 10 is fixed on the back of a product, such as but not limited to a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a game machine, a mobile phone case, or a tablet computer case, the position of the supplementary grip member 10 on these products is adjusted according to the user's various needs. The user varies the position based on the most comfortable and labor-saving position.

When the user uses a handheld electronic device, the user's hand is held on the gripping surface 12. The gripping surface 12 is designed under the composite ergonomic principle, which allows the user's hand to rest in a supported position. The gripping surface 12 is comfortable to the user, thereby reducing hand fatigue by the user when the user plays handheld electronic devices for long periods time. In addition, the supplementary grip member 10 can be used repeatedly, is environmentally friendly, and highly utilized.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance between one end of the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11 is greater than the distance between the other end of the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11. For example, the horizontal distance between the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11 is greater than the vertical distance between the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11.

Further, the surface area for the user's hand extends from one end of the gripping surface 12 toward the other end of the gripping surface 12 in such a manner that the distance between the grip surface 12 and the connecting surface 11 gradually increases. See FIG. 2. In addition, the grip surface 12 extends from one end thereof to the other end such that its distance from the joint surface 11 is gradually increased.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the gripping surface 12 is convex outwardly in a direction away from the connecting surface 11.

In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the gripping surface 12 is concave toward the direction of connecting surface 11. It is understood that the supplementary grip member 10 includes a side surface 13 for connecting the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11. Opposing ends of the gripping surface 12 extend toward each other in such a manner as to gradually approach the connecting surface 11.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the gripping surface 12 is planar. It can be understood that the supplementary grip member also has a side 13 for connecting the gripping surface 12 and the connecting surface 11.

As a preferred embodiment, the supplementary grip member 10 is a member made of soft plastic, rubber or silicone. Specifically, supplementary grip member 10 can be made of polypropylene, neoprene, vinyl-containing resin, rubber, silicone or other suitable elastic material. In a specific embodiment, the supplementary grips member 10 is made of silicone rubber.

As a preferred embodiment, griping surface 12 is provided with a non-slip groove (not shown) to increase the friction of the gripping surface 12. The supplementary grip member 10 of such a structure prevents slippage from the user's hand while gripping the hand-held electronic device by the user.

The novel case also provides a hand-held electronic device including a hand-held electronic device and an supplementary grip member 10 as above, the back side of the hand-held electronic device is detachably connected to the connecting surface 11 of the supplementary gripping member 10.

The supplementary grip member 10 of the above-mentioned handheld electronic device is made of a soft material. Moreover, the gripping surface 12 of the supplementary grip member 10 is concave toward the direction away from the connecting surface 11, providing an ergonomic fit between the electronic device and supplementary gripping member 10.

When the supplementary gripping member 10 is fixed on the back of a product such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a game machine, a cellphone case, a tablet PC case, or similar device, the position of the supplementary grip member 10 on these products is adjusted to the most comfortable position according to the user's needs, e.g. hand size and position on the device. This can alleviate the fatigue of the wrist when user play mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and game consoles, for extended periods of time. Further, since the supplementary grip member 10 is detachably connected at the connecting surface 11 of the supplementary grip member 10, it can be used repeatedly, which is environmentally friendly and highly utilized.

As a preferred embodiment, the handheld electronic device is further provided with a protective sleeve 20 partially wrapped therein, the protective case is made of plastic, rubber, silicone or similar material. When the handheld electronic device drops or is improperly operated, the protective sleeve 20 resists scratching and/or provides shock absorption. Moreover, the protective sleeve 20 still has an opening (not labeled) to allow the user to access the display screen that controls and views the handheld electronic device. The second side 22 is detachably connected to the connecting surface 11.

It can be understood that the second side 22 is detachably connected to the connecting surface 11 by a mechanical snap, a magnetic structure, a suction cup structure or a glue layer. For example, the second side 22 is provided with a first engaging portion (not shown). The connecting surface 11 is provided with a second engaging portion (not shown) that communicates with the first engaging portion. The detachable connection of the second side 22 and the connecting surface 11 is achieved by the mechanical snap of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, that is, the detachable connection of the protective sleeve 20 and the supplementary grip member 10 is achieved.

For example, the second side 22 is provided with a first magnetic body (not shown), and the connecting surface 11 is provided with a second magnetic body (not shown) that cooperates with the first magnetic body. The detachable connection of the second side 22 and the connecting surface 11 is achieved by the magnetic attraction of the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body, that is, the detachable connection of the protective sleeve 20 and the supplementary grip member 10 is achieved.

At least one of the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body is a magnet in total. For example, the second side 22 is provided with a first suction cup (not shown), and the connecting surface 11 is provided with a second suction cup (not shown) that cooperates with the first suction cup. The detachable connection of the second side 22 and the connecting surface 11 is achieved by the adsorption of the first suction cup and the second suction cup. That is, the detachable connection of the protective sleeve 20 and the supplementary grip member 10 is achieved. The preferred adhesive layer is a silicone adhesive layer.

The supplementary grip member 10 is installed in the back of the handheld electronic device to the most comfortable and labor-saving position of the user to effectively relieve the fatigue and discomfort of the user's hand. As a preferred embodiment, the number of the supplementary grip members 10 is two, which are respectively disposed on opposite two side edges of the back surface of the handheld electronic device. In this way, the two hands of the user are respectively held on the two supplementary grip members 10, and the user's grip is comfortable, thereby alleviating the fatigue and discomfort of the user's hands. It can be understood that the supplementary grip member 10 is designed to be minimized while enabling the user to easily and firmly hold the handheld electronic device, thereby saving raw materials and effectively alleviating the fatigue and discomfort of the user's hand.

As a preferred embodiment, the handheld electronic device includes an electronic reader, a gaming machine, a tablet, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a tablet. E-readers such as Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook®, and Sony eReader®. Tablets such as Apple iPad®, Google Android®, etc.

The above-mentioned implementation is only preferred implementation of the utility model, the protected scope of this utility model can not be limited with this any insubstantial changes and replacement based on the utility model by those skilled in the art are belong to this utility model scope required for protection. As used herein, the term sleeve can mean any type of case or container to cover a digital product.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention are efficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to the invention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, which modifications are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood that the foregoing description is illustrative of the present invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

What I claim is:
 1. A handheld accessory device, comprising: at least one supplementary gripping member removably connected on the back of a handheld electronic device for a user to hold the handheld electronic device, wherein: the supplementary gripping member comprises a connecting surface and a gripping surface opposite to the connecting surface, and the connecting surface is used to connect with the back surface of the handheld electronic device, and the gripping surface has a curved surface for the user to hold the handheld electronic device.
 2. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 1, wherein the distance between one side of the gripping surface and the connecting surface is larger than the distance between the opposite side of the gripping surface and the connecting surface.
 3. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 1, wherein the gripping surface consists of at least one of the following: the gripping surface is concave toward a direction close to the connecting surface; the gripping surface is convex toward a direction away from the connecting surface; or the gripping surface is flat.
 4. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 1, wherein the supplementary gripping member is made of one of the following: soft plastic, rubber, or silicone;
 5. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 1, wherein the gripping surface has an anti-slip groove.
 6. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 1, wherein the back surface of the hand-held electronic device is detachably connected with the connecting surface of supplementary grip member.
 7. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a protective sleeve for the hand-held electronic device, the protective sleeve having a first side positioned toward the back of the hand-held electronic device and opposing second side connected to the connecting surface of the supplementary grip member, wherein the second side is disposed on the back of the first side.
 8. The handheld accessory device as recited in claim 7, wherein the second side is detachably connected with the connecting surface.
 9. The hand handheld accessory device as recited in claim 8, wherein the second side is detachably connected with the connecting surface through one of the following: a mechanical buckle, a magnetic structure, a suction cup structure, or a rubber layer.
 10. The hand handheld accessory device as recited in claim 7, wherein there are two supplementary grip members are positioned on opposite sides of the back of the hand-held electronic device.
 11. The hand handheld accessory device as recited in claim 10, wherein the hand-held electronic device is an E-reader, gaming machine, tablet, mobile phone, PDA or E writer. 